Growing opposition to windfarm

Marr area councillors have echoed the views of their Kincardine and Mearns counterparts and recommended a formal objection to plans for a 26-turbine windfarm near the Cairngorms National Park.

The unanimous decision paves the way for Aberdeenshire Council’s infrastructure services committee to lodge a formal objection with the Scottish Government.

Coriolis Energy is behind the application to the government for the 104 mega-watt network of turbines on the Fasque and Glendye Estates, north of Edzell.

Councillors were in full agreement with a council report which considered that the “significant environmental effects” in terms of landscape and visual amenity, were sufficient to outweigh the benefits of the scheme to contribute towards meeting Scotland’s renewable energy production.

Demonstrating that the windfarm would be contrary to a number of Aberdeenshire local development plan policies, the report states: “The proposal cannot be supported and as such it is recommended that Aberdeenshire raise an objection regarding the application to the Scottish Government.”

Committee chair Councillor Moira Ingleby added: “I’ve never seen such a strongly-worded decision note in any planning report – and I agree with that.”

Under the scheme, which was first unveiled back in 2016, 26 three-bladed turbines would be installed across 1,500 hectares – each with a maximum height of 149.9m to blade tip – and having an electrical capacity of around 4MW.

However, the development is facing objections including those from the Ministry of Defence, SEPA, RSPB, Scottish Natural Heritage and the John Muir Trust who have all raised concerns along with three local community councils.